A classic of the Shakespeare cannon, "Othello" is also one of his more difficult works to perform because of the multiple ways to interpret the characters and the intense racial implications of the play. The Shakespeare Theatre tackles it again as the opening performance of its season. Previous renditions of the play here have included another Avery Brooks (yes, of "Deep Space Nine" fame) performance, as well as a photo-negative version in which Patrick Stewart played Othello to an all black cast, both of which met with critical acclaim. This run has also been considerably successful.
Brooks delivered a nearly flawless performance that made it easy to see why he was invited back to reprise the title role of the Moor. His ability to not only deliver lines but also react to the other characters kept the audience focused on him even when he wasn't speaking. Brooks has a tremendous skill for acting with his entire body in a fluid and realistic way that does not seem overacted or forced, even when he falls into fits of jealous epilepsy. His comfort on stage in addition to his attention to detail puts him in a master actor class not obtained by many, and allows the audience to identify with Othello as well as pity him.
In contrast, Patrick Page offered a somewhat one-dimensional Iago, declaring him to be "irredeemably evil" and dismissing all other motives for his behavior. Because of this, his portrayal is not capable of reaching the heights of complexity and malice that have been achieved by other actors and are somewhat necessary to the play. This became especially clear when contrasted with Brooks' passionate and emotional presence. Thus, Page's Iago is less interesting than he could be. Also, Page seemed unable to decide whether he wants to play Iago as straight or gay, and the vacillation led to further confusion about his character. Unfortunately, since Iago is really the lead and has more lines than Othello himself, Page's slight weakness was magnified into a major problem with the play.
Colleen Delany, a Shakespeare Theatre regular, delivered another solid and impressive performance as Desdemona. Emotionally engaging and believable, she manages to generate a tremendous amount of sympathy for her character's situation. Delany also matches Brooks' passion in the truly disturbing murder scene. She is well worth seeing while she's still in D.C. because her consistently top-notch showings will ensure her placement in another city soon.
As for the rest of the cast, Erik Steele was perfectly cast as a very na?ve and somewhat feminine Roderigo, and Lise Bruneauwas gave a nearly faultless interpretation of Emilia. On the other hand, David Sabin delivered a slightly more mad than angry version of Brabantio, and Andrea Cirie was more scary than seductive as Bianca. However, the individual failings of the cast are made up for in the general sentiment of the show, which entangles the audience in its web of deceit and betrayal.
The Shakespeare Theater always manages to truly impress with its set design, and James Noone's wooden vision for the set did not disappoint. His decision to utilize a concave design for several scenes allowed the actors to still project their voices while speaking downstage and was a creative way to increase the depth of the scenes. Also, the theatre continues to excel in the use of minimal scenery and only a few large set pieces, allowing the focus to remain on the actors.
The production was, however, somewhat marred by the weak costume design of Jess Goldstein. Though costumes are usually strong at the Shakespeare Theater, Goldstein opted to use an incredible amount of slightly shiny, pleather-like material for nearly everything, including shirts, pants, boots and coats. The fabric caught glare from the stage lights and occasionally made the actors look either like pirates or a very eighties rock band, which was distracting and mildly amusing.
This was a strong rendition of "Othello," but in the end, there is only so much a theater can do in staying true to the classic version. Readers who have not already seen "Othello" on stage should make a point to attend, but those who have seen it already are excused to save three hours and wait for The Shakespeare Theatre's next production: "The Comedy of Errors"
